Happy Autumn from Cottage Gatherings!

Autumn mean apples, pumpkins, harvest, and halloween :) :) Our family loves to go apple picking, which we will do this Sunday...our local orchard offers much more than just apple picking...there is a corn maze...cider donuts...scarecrow making...fresh cider...pumpkins...and goats with their very own playground! If your local orchard does not offer these, consider setting up some things to do at home once you return...like a scarecrow building party, with cookies and cider for snacking on!

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~Try your hand at apple bobbing...but don't use your hands!~
Celts would bob for apples as part of their end of summer celebration.
Folklore has it that if you can get an apple out of the tub without using your hands, you'll have a full year of good luck.
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Apples mean apple recipes! Here are some recipes and links...
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Apple Cheddar Crescent
Refrigerated pie dough for - 1 crust
Vegetable oil spray
Flour
1/4 c All-fruit apple spread
6 Apples (3 Granny Smith and -3 Red Delicious)
1 c Shredded cheddar cheese
2 tb Melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Melt the apple spread in the microwave (10 - 15 seconds on high). Brush the melted spread onto the pie crust with a pastry brush. Peel the apples if desired and chop them coarsely. Scatter the apple spices over the pie crust and then scatter on the cheese. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pie crust into 8 wedges. Starting form the wide end, roll up each wedge of crust. Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet and shape into crescents. Brush with melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
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I Love Apples...
lots of wonderful apple recipes here!
http://www.grannyskitchen.com/apple/index.html
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Apple Recipes From New England Inns
http://gonewengland.about.com/travel/gonewengland/library/blapplerecipes.htm
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Caramel Crunch Apple Pie
28 vanilla dairy caramels
2 tablespoons water
4 cups peeled, sliced Michigan apples
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Melt caramels with water in top of double boiler, stirring occassionally until mixture is smooth. Layer apples and caramel sauce in pie shell. Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter and margarine until mixture is crumbly; stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over top of pie. Bake at 375o F. for 50 to 60 minutes or until apples are tender.

from the Michigan Apples Recipe Page:
http://www.michiganapples.com/rectop.html
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Simmered Fall Punch
Ingredients:
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 or 3 cloves
Simmer on the stove for 20-30 minutes. Take out cloves before serving.

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Apple Recipes
http://www.seanet.com/~tberry/Aa/recipe_alt.html
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Pumpkins
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Pumpkins and More:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/

everything you could possibly want to know about pumpkins! recipes, pumpkin fun,festivals, and more!
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Banana Pumpkin Shake
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 banana
dash of cinnamon
Blend in blender until smooth and foamy. Serve immediately
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The Great Pumpkin:
pumpkin picking, recipes and more:
http://gonewengland.about.com/travel/gonewengland/library/weekly/aa082399.htm
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Halloween
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HalloweenMagazine
http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/

Halloween Online
http://www.halloween-online.com/

Costume Idea Zone
http://homestead.com/markycady/halloween.html

Absolutely Halloween
http://www.oocities.org/Heartland/7134/Halloween/hall.htm

History and Customs of Halloween
http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm

Halloween On The Net
http://www.halloween.com/

ChildFun's Halloween Crafts and Activities
http://childfun.com/menus/halloween.shtml

ChildFun's Spooky Halloween Food
http://childfun.com/menus/halloween.shtml

Spook Food for the Faint Hearted
http://childfun.com/cards/hol_hal.shtml

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Get out your pumpkins and gourdes, fall scented candles,and other harvest/halloween decorations, and get in the spirit of the harvest! How about some terra cotta pots stacked with candles and small gourds? A pumpkin with a grapevine wreath around the base, with some autumn leaves tucked in?
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*Preserving Fall Leaves
You will need:
Dried leaves
floor wax
a bowl
newspaper
waxed paper
an old catalog or phone book
old or inexpensive paint brushes
Gather some pretty fall leaves once they have fallen. Lay newspapers down on a work surface. Pour some wax into the bowl. Have the kids carefully brush wax onto the leaves. This will make them shiny. To dry, place them between two pieces of wax paper and place between the catalog or phone book pages. Use to make cards or decorate the windows and doors.

This section will be for Thanksgiving, so check back soon to see what's here!

counter added September 25 2000